GOVERNMENT CONFLICTS, CORRUPTION AND INDICTMENTS

- TEXAS -

Date	Individual / State Agency	Who, What, Where?
03/02/04	Fort Worth	School Employees Convicted of Mail Fraud Fort Worth, Texas, residents, Tommy E.T. Ingram, age 54, and Raylate Brooks, age 57, have each agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud on the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, as charged in an Information filed today in United States District Court in Fort Worth. They each face a maximum sentence of eight years imprisonment, a $350,000.00 fine and restitution.
01/10/05	Tulsa Police Department	Former Tulsa Cop Faces Perjury Trial Former police officer Tom Coleman has been indicted on perjury charges for lying about his arrest record for four defendants. 38 people were convicted for selling small amounts of cocaine and received sentences up to 90 years. The issue is were the drug busts racially motivated. If convicted, Coleman could face up to 10 years in jail and a $10,000 fine on each felony charge.
02/27/05	Bill Ceverha	GOP Activist Charged with Raising Illegal Campaign Funds Bill Ceverha, treasurer for a group tied to Rep. Tom DeLay, is charged with illegally funding the Republican’s 2002 campaign in Texas. Democrats and independent campaign finance watchdogs alleged that Republican activists used corporate money to help pay for 22 House campaigns. Much of the money was routed through organizations with ties to Tom Delay.
03/22/05	Wilmer-Hutchins	Former School Superintendent Indicted Former Wilmer-Hutchins Superintendent Charles Matthews was indicted for allegedly ordering employees to falsify attendance data. School districts receive state funding based on a formula called WADA - weighted average daily attendance. How much state money a school receives is determined by how many of its students it has in attendance on an average day. More students mean more money. According to his employment contract, he would receive a bonus of nearly $9,000 if every school in the district maintained an attendance rate of 95 percent or better.
10/01/05	Grand Jury	Texas Grand Jury Indicts Texas Business Group A grand jury charged the Texas Association of Business with four third-degree indictments with raising $1.7 million in illegal, secret and improper donations it in turn used to finance statewide Republican’s political campaigns. New Jerseyans take note - It is illegal in Texas to use corporate or labor money to aid a political candidate.
01/01/06	Cameron County	Sheriff Extorts Money from Drug Dealers The former sheriff of Cameron County, Conrado Cantu, was sentenced to 24 years in jail for his part in leading a criminal conspiracy to extort money from drug dealers. Mr. Cantu said that he was ill equipped for the sheriff’s job, and by the end of his four-year term, the pressure of 18-hour days and the media attention, had finally gotten to him. Mr. Cantu said he has found religion and acknowledged a drinking problem. He pleaded guilty to one count of heading a criminal enterprise engaged in acts of extortion, drug trafficking, obstruction of state and local law enforcement efforts, witness tampering and bribery. In addition to Sheriff Cantu, other memorable convictions of Texas’ law enforcement officials have included: · In 1994, Zapata County Sheriff Romeo Ramirez was sentenced to two years in jail for accepting bribes from federal agents posing as drug traffickers and laundering $20,000 in drug money · In 1994, Hidalgo County Sheriff “Brig” Marmelejo Jr. was sentenced to seven years in jail for accepting bribes for convicted drug dealers to arrange conjugal visits. In 1998, Starr County Sheriff “Gene” Falcon was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy after an informant posing as a bail bondsman paid him $11,500 in bribes for inmate referrals.